Monday, September 9, 2013

The Best of Fitness with Dr. Jose Antonio


Expert: Jose Antonio, PhD, ISSN, CSCS, FNSCA

This week I had the opportunity to touch base with Dr. Jose Antonio, the founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. When it comes to exercise, supplements, and nutrition, this man knows his stuff! Not only does he teach at Nova Southeastern University, he currently runs an amazing sports nutrition conference (I cannot wait for ISSN 2014 in Clear Water Florida!), writes and trains hard. Dr. Antonio is fueled by coffee and solid nutrition (He actually started up his own coffee company!)



I wanted to pick his brain a little bit on the fundamentals of training, his philosophy, and his love for coffee!

KV: What is your philosophy when training athletes? The average person?

JA: 90% of training is knowing:
1) the energy system(s) used in the sport and
2) knowing the motor unit recruitment patterns.  Thus, 90% of training is following the basic principles of specificity, overload, variation, etc.  The other 10% requires a bit of creativity on the trainers part.  Remember the adage:  "If you do what everyone else does, you'll be like everyone else."  Make that other 10% count! 

For the average person, merely doing something (anything!) on a regular basis is most important.

KV: What advice do you have for people with busy schedules and getting in workouts?

JA: NEVER, I mean NEVER make excuses for not exercising.  Exercise is too important to be #99 on the list of priorities.  If you can make time to sit on your a$$, then you can make time to exercise.

KV: What are the three most important aspects for a healthy life?

JA: 1) Sweat a little every day :-) 2) Eat clean most of the time! 3) Have a great support system of family and friends.

KV: What is your favorite type of workout? What are the benefits from this?

JA: My absolute favorite workout is open-ocean outrigger paddling!  You get some sun; you get to enjoy the ocean and its wildlife (lots of dolphin here in South Florida) and most of all, it's fun.  Let's face it. Doing an actual SPORT/ACTIVITY is always more fun than lifting anonymous weights.

KV: What is one piece of advice you can provide to someone who is working on their fitness goals?

JA: Find something you love doing, and keep doing it.  The BEST exercise for you is one that you know you'll do the rest of your life!

KV: Alright let’s get to the best part, coffee! What do you typically drink and can you speak to the benefits of drinking coffee?

JA: I love drinking brewed coffee.  With 100 mg or more of caffeine per cup, java will increase mental alertness and boost your workout performance.  Also, coffee is one of the world's healthiest beverages.  Regular consumption can decrease the risk of diabetes as well as various cancers."

On that note, I am making a pot of coffee right now! If you are interested in learning more from Dr. Antonio be sure to follow him on twitter @Dr.JoseAntonio and visit the ISSN website at www.sportsnutritionsociety.org

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